So I have been meaning to build a new compost bin since we moved to our new house last spring but kept putting it off until now. With this weekend’s heat wave of temperatures above 40, I was looking for any reason to be outside and building something. There are many ways to build a compost bin and many designs to get the job done, but at the end of the day you want something that is going to hold a bunch of leaves, yard clippings, and your food scraps and turn them into amazing fertilizer for those raised vegetable beds.

First thing to do is gather a bunch of wood and other materials, preferably some 2×4’s of various lengths and some chicken wire.

First build yourself two simple identical frames, and then get that dog of yours to help raise them and using several more 2×4 to span between them create essentially a rectangular box.

Clad the front side with other wood members to keep the compost from falling out, but use chicken wire on the back and between the sides to allow for air to penetrate the compost. Also on the ends attach the boards in such a way that you can easily take them off so you can get inside and clean out your compost when it is ready. By this time you clearly deserve a beer for your hard work so crack one open, stand back and observe your masterpiece.